Tubular chime



0a. 22, 1940. F, MASON 2,219,036-

TUBULAR CHIME I Filed March 14, 1939 f INVENTOK.

h BY' W ATTORNEYS;

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 atlases nun-.12

. any... assignor to Nu'lone ilbirnes lino Ne York; N. :22, acorporation of New York Application March id, 1939, Serial No. 261,784

This invention relates to chimes of the type comprising a vibratable, tubular chime or sounding element, and a striker for vibrating it. The striker is either of the mechanical type or one 5 comprising a plunger and solenoid electro-magnetlcally operable by a push button switch. The chime element itself is an elongated tube which when struck vibrates to produce a resonant sound.

The primary object has been to provide a tubular chime element which is capable of providing sounds of a fuller and more pleasant tone when struck, than the chime elements which heretofore have been available.

.15 With'iew, if any exceptions, the sounds produced by the typical tubular chimes have been comprised of overtones of a brassy. metallic and veryundesirable character. One of the principal features of the present invention resides in the improvement of the quality and tonal value of the sound of the chime element.

Another object of the invention has been to improve the arrangement of the chime elements and the strikers for operating them. In usin the conventional chime elements, it has been very diilicult to position two solenoid strikers so that both strike the tube at some point which proves most efllcient for sound production. In some -instances the strikers are located radially around i the tube adjacent the upper end of it. This arrangement, however, malts it necessary to have a bulky and large cover to house the chime operating mechanism. Ii the striker units are placed side by side, with their cores parallel to one an other, then one of them can be positioned to strike the tube at a nodal point, but not both. Neither is it effective or-convenient to angulate the strikers relative to one another so that their axes converge at a nodal point. The present 111- 40 vention contemplates a structure in which the solenoid strikers may be spaced adjacent one for full development of the sound. When'tlie 1 usual electromagnetic strikers are operated upon 'capableof developing a full resonant toneeven.

six volts the blows which they deliver tend to be, or are too feeble for the purpose.

To overcome this disadvantage the object has been to provide a tubular chime element which is when operated upon voltages iurnished from conventional doorbell ringing transformers or similar means.

The present invention is based upon the discovery that a pronounced improvement. in the 10 tone quality and the volume of sound produced by a chime is obtained when a prong or rod-like anvil ls provided at the end or" the chime tube for receiving the striking blows. This anvil is mounted rigidly upon the tube, or is made as an 15' integral part of it, and projects axlally beyond the end of the tube for the reception of blows either from one or a series of strikers disposed at various points along itsdength. When this anvil is struck instead of the tube then full reso- 20 nant'tones are produced from the chime and no metallic overtones or harsh sounds are developed. The sound produced by the instrument is noticeably dififerent, both qualitatively and quantitively. from the sound produced from a chime tube 25 of the conventional structure. The sound developed by the chime does not vary as the anvil is struck at difier'ent points upon its length. This characteristic enables two solenoid strikers to be placed side by side for operating upon the g anvil without variation in the volume of sound or purity of its tone. Moreover, the volume oi sound produced from a relatively feeble blow upon the anvil. for example, a blow from a solenoid operated upon six-volt current, is at least equal 35 to, and in most cases much greater than the sound produced from a striker operated from an eight or fourteen volt transformer and arranged to strike the tube in the conventional manner. Other objectives and further features of the in- 4b ventlon are disclosed in the description which follows. e

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l'is a front elevation of a chime unit 4.5 embcdying'two chime tubes. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation. Figure 3 is a top plan view. The chime of Figure 1 embodies a base 2 upon which hangers 3-3 are mounted. These so 7 hangers are comprised respectively of arms d-% which are in spaced parallel relationship and serve to spread the strings 5-5 from which the chime tubes are suspended. The upper edges oi the hangers preferably contain notches t in I9, 20 and 2|.

spaced relationship for holding the support strings 5-5 in predetermined positions.

The chime tubes are designated generally at I. Each tube is of elongated form and is made of metal, preferably brass. The tubes, as shown, are open at their lower ends though they, may contain caps or closures. At the upper end each tube contains an anvil indicated generally at 8.

In the preferred structure the anvil of each tube is comprised of an elastic portion 9. This preferably is of rod-like nature and it terminates in a plug portion I engaging the end portion of the tube. It is requisite that the anvils .be affixed tightly to the tubes; loose connections give rise to the production of harsh metallic sounds when the anvils are struck.

The anvil may be constructed several ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The. rod portion of the anvil is integral with the plug, or it may be press-fitted into the plug, as shown in the drawings. Alternatively, it may be sweated on by solder or held in the plug by threaded connection. Likewise, the plug can beheld in its position inside of the chime tube in any of these ways, or the anvil may be made in one piece and fastened into the tube as above described. The anvil elements also may embrace the tubes in exterior connection instead of being fitted within the interior of them.

The portion 9 of the anvil is of sufilcient length to accommodate the various strikers from which it is to receive'blows along the length, and it preferably is of relatively slender configuration, to facilitate compactness in the structure and avoid the use of wide spreaders for keeping the support strings from contacting the anvil and dampening the sound vibrations. However, other supporting structures may be employed in place of the one which is illustrated. The anvils are preferably made of steel or brass, and may be round, as shown, or square, or of other suitable shape. The rod portions of the anvils are bored as at H to receive the support strings 5.

,The chime tube is operated by applying a lateral impact blow upon the anvil. In the device shown in Figure 1 a striking mechanism is of a typical arrangement and embodies solenoids I2 and I3 supported from ,the base 2 by means of the bracket H. The solenoids l2 and I3 contain sleeves I5 and I6 within which plungers l1 and I8, shown-in the phantom lines in Figure 1, are slidable. The plungers carry non-metallic hammer heads. These preferably are of wood or felt, or leather, to avoid the production of metallic sounds.

The base 2 of the device contains terminals The terminals of the solenoids are connected to the leads in the conventional manner and the terminals in turn are in electrical connection with the appropriate signal buttons energized from a six-volt battery, or a six-volt transformer or the like.

One of the sleeves, I5, of the solenoid is closed at one end so that the plunger is free to move" in one direction .only. This sleeve contains an appropriate spring abutment for retracting the plunger within the sleeve upon deenergization of the solenoid. The other sleeve is open at both ends and the plunger of it contains a hammer head at each end. This plunger is free to be projected in one direction to strike one ofv the anvils'and a spring, (not shown) is located within the sleeve to retract it and cause it to rebound through the sleeve and be impact against the other end of it. This phase of the structure, disclosed in Figure 1, is conventional and need not be described here in detail.

In place of the striking mechanism which is shown other types of electromagnetic strikers, including swinging hammers and the like, may be employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the invention is not limited to the foregoing description of a typical embodimen but only by the claims which follow.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A sounding device, comprising a chime tube,

a metallic member comprising a slender elon- U gated portion which is of lesser diameter than the tube, attached to the tube at one end thereof with the slender portion extending substantially axially from the end of the tube, said member including means for suspending the tube, said slender portion comprising an anvil element which, upon being struck, is adapted to sound said chime tube.

2. A sounding device, comprising a chime tube,

a metallic anvil member comprising an anvil which is of lesser diameter than the tube, the anvil member being attached to an end of the tube with the anvil extending substantially ax iallyfrom the'end of .the tube, and means forsupporting the tube from the anvil member, the anvil of said anvil member being of sufiicient length to be struck by several hammer devices disposed along its length.

3. A sounding device, comprising a chime tube, a metallic member comprising a slender elongated portion which is of lesser diameter than the tube attached to the tube at one end thereof with the slender portion extending substantially axially from the end of .the tube, said slender portion comprising an anvil element which, upon being struck, is adapted, to chime said chime tube.

' FRED MASON. 

